research potential, Czech regions, Polish regions, NUTS2

Research and innovation potential plays a key role in the generation of new knowledge, products and technological processes. The paper deals with the role and position of scientific and research policy and the research potential of Czech and Polish NUTS2 regions. Based on selected indicators of research and development (Intramural R&D expenditure by sectors of performance, human resources in science and technology, researchers by all sectors and employment in high-tech sectors) over the period 2011-2015, an analysis and evaluation of research and innovation potential of Czech and Polish NUTS2 regions was carried out. As regards the research potential, Prague and South-east in the Czech Republic and Mazowieckie in Poland have a dominant position. Results of the testing of correlations between research and development indicators, using correlation analysis, prove a stronger correlation of R&D in Czech NUTS2 regions, compared to Polish NUTS2 regions over the period 2011-2015, in particular between 1) intramural R&D expenditure by sectors of performance and human resources in science and technology and 2) intramural R&D expenditure by sectors of performance and employment in high-tech sectors.